


Aspen

by orphan_account



Category: Original Work
Genre: Assistance Dog, Fainting, Gen, Hospital, Paramedic - Freeform, ambulance, angst (kinda), pots - Freeform, service dog
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-29 00:53:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17797988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A short story comparing what life is like before and after having an assistance dog during a medical crisis.





	Aspen

The first thing I heard was sirens. My mouth was dry and tasted of metal. Panicked onlookers were staring at me. My entire body throbbed, having come into contact with concrete far to fast for its liking. A sinking feeling engulfed my stomach. It had happened again.

The feel of a paramedic shaking me was unwelcome. I just wanted to lie here and sleep for a bit. I knew he wasn't going to stop, so I reluctantly forced my eyelids open, groaning as a way of wordless reassurance. The crowd gathered around me is blurry, as is the paramedics face. Audio has no purpose for me. I can hear, but I can't decode the sounds.

I'm forced to sit up far too soon. I try to warn the paramedic, but my mouth isn't working correctly. Pins and needles shoot down my body. My vision fades. All of the jumbled noises fall silent. I'm uncontrollably spiralling into the darkness.

Sirens. I groan. They're deafening. My mind is foggy but yet I still try desperately to figure out why they're so loud. My back. It's not on the hard concrete anymore. Where was I? It takes another minute before I realise the obvious. I'm in an ambulance. Fuck.

I awaken three hours later. My mouth still tastes metallic, and I've got a migraine, but other than that I was restored. I open my eyes and study the room, trying to figure out which hospital I was in this time, but to no avail. Suddenly I crave the noise of the city street again. Even the siren was better than this stone-cold silence.

I roll over onto my side and stare at the door, trying not to let myself cry. I fail and spend the rest of my time sobbing into my pillow, waiting for someone to find me.

* * *

 

Dog breath. Dog tongue. **Wet** dog tongue. I groan. Weight is spread evenly across my chest. Soft fur brushes against my numb hands. More dog tongue. I open my eyes. Shoppers stay shopping. It's just Aspen and I. I smile.

A few minutes later I decide it's time to risk getting up. I signal Aspen off my chest and push myself into a sitting position. My mouth doesn't work, but that's okay. I can feel her tail wagging.

Aspen presses something into my hand. I look down and realise it's a dog phone. I give her a thumbs up before pushing the button. On the other end is Bella, who informs me she'll be waiting in our usual place in 10 minutes.

Slowly, I get off the floor. I can see, but it's blurry and distorted. I can hear, but I can't decode the noise. My extremities are numb. Very numb. I struggle to think. All I can do is grab onto Aspen's handle.

Aspen expertly weaves us through the crowds. I don't stumble, because she stops at every change of elevation. She knows where she's going. I focus on not fainting.

Aspen finds the car before I even comprehended where we were. Bella comes out to greet me, opening the car door. I slump into the seat and close my eyes. A warm lump sits on my feet. I rub Aspen's ear, trying to spit out some form of verbal praise but fail. She doesn't care. I feel her tail thumping on my foot. It soothes me as I fall into a deep sleep. 


End file.
